Survivors_of_Incest_Anonymous
Survivors of Incest Anonymous
Twelve-step program
Survivors of Incest Anonymous (SIA) is a twelve-step fellowship for recovery from the consequences of childhood sexual abuse. SIA was founded in 1982 in Baltimore, Maryland by women who believed their experience in other twelve-step fellowships (Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Overeaters Anonymous (OA) and Al-Anon) could assist in recovery from sexual trauma.[1] In SIA incest is defined broadly as any sexual behavior imposed on one person by a member of his or her immediate or extended family. The extended family, in this definition, includes but is not limited to: grandparents, uncles, aunts, in-laws, clergy, teachers, cousins, family friends, and stepparents. The abuse may include verbal abuse, emotional abuse and physical behaviors; penetration is not necessary for meeting SIA's definition on incest.[2] Covert incest within the family is also a theme many survivors explore in SIA.